1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a range switching device including so-called a shift-by-wire system that sets a shift range selected by a driver using, for example, a shift lever, via an electrical signal.
2. Description of the Background Art
There is a range switching device including a motor, a cycloidal reducer portion, a parallel-shaft gear reducer portion, and an output shaft inside an outer-frame member as disclosed, for example, in Patent Literature 1.
The range switching device disclosed in Patent Literature 1 is configured as follows. That is, an electronic control unit is installed on the outside of the outer-frame member and a housing main body of the range switching device is provided with a connector protruding radially outward. The range switching device and the electronic control unit are electrically connected to each other by coupling a connector storing wirings from the electronic control unit to the connector of the housing main body.
[Patent Literature 1] JP-A-2012-219871
According to the range switching device disclosed in Patent Literature 1, a wiring member from a motor and an encoder is insert-molded in the housing main body of the range switching device and the wiring member extends into the connector by passing an interior of the housing main body. This configuration, however, raises a problem that not only an extremely long wiring member to connect the motor and the encoder all the way to the connector is required, but also a layout of the wiring member and respective components inside the housing becomes highly complex.
Also, the range switching device and the electronic control unit controlling the driving of the range switching device are present separately. This configuration raises another problem that restrictions imposed on the layout around a transmission become stricter to the extent that attachment becomes difficult.
Further, a cycloidal reducer is used to increase a torque generated by the motor to as high a torque as required for shift range switching. Accordingly, an extremely high degree of accuracy is required for components and during assembly and such a requirement raises still another problem that manufacturing during component fabrication and assembly becomes extremely difficult.